In Matthew 14:25 Jesus believed that peter could walk on water ,because He commanded Him to come. Jesus already knew the outcome of Peter taking the bold step to walk on water. And He asked Jesus to give Him the ability to do it, but in the midst of walking Peter allowed fear to sink Him back to the ground

(Matthew 14:25And in the fourth watch of the night[c]he came to them, walking on the sea. 26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30But when he saw the wind,[d] he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” )

God has already commanded us , spoken into us and believed in us, but is our faith in Him bigger than the fear of failing? Because when God commands us to do something, to step out , to start that idea He has given us ,there will be winds and storms which will come and face us. Face us to test us, to know whether we are grounded enough in our faith, whether we will still continue to walk and do what He has called us to do no matter the opposition. There is no way we wont be aware that theres an opposition , but where will our focus be ? Will we still believe that God believed in us ? and knows that we are capable and thats why He commanded us? Or will we allow the temporary storm to stop us from accomplishing His eternal purpose . See the storm is only for a moment, a moment to test whether you will give up, a moment of storm seeking to replace the long term glory and fulfillment God has planned for us . How many times have we allowed fear to stop us? To cripple us when God had already spoken. When God had already placed in you everything you need to overcome the storm. What would happen if you did it afraid? What God had asked us to do, little by little that fear would be overtaken by faith. We don't understand where this storm has come from but we won't let it stop us from doing what God has asked us to do.

See the storm only began when peter left His comfort zone ( the boat ). The boat was only to keep peter limited. It was comfortable but it meant He remained in there and did not know His potential. What was His potential ? That the Lord will do in Him beyond what He (Peter) could even ask or imagine. God saw His potential , but did He see it? Fear stops us from walking in our full potential. Fear springs up all the questions to lead you in doubting what God Himself has already placed inside of you. Can I really do this? What if this happens? What if i don't have enough? What if they think this? . But faith fuels you to walking in your full potential even when fear stares at you in the face. Can I do this ; Yes ;I can do all things through christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13 ) …..What if this happens? ; Nothing is going to stop me from doing what God has asked me to do; Not by might, nor by power but by My spirit, says the LORD Almighty. (Zechariah 4:6)….What if i dont have enough ;God will supply all of your needs according to His riches in glory in christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19)

What would happen if we replied back to fear in the face with faith. Faith in who God says we are and what we have?

When you are in your comfort zone theres no opposition, because you haven't yet discovered the potential God has placed within you. But when you step out of your comfort zone , refusing to stay the same, you are getting ready to uncover the potential God has placed inside of you. God has already commanded you, And when God commands Is beyond a word, God speaks out of completion. He has already seen you fulfill it and walking in it thats why He spoke the word. Now its up to you and I to hold on to the word, the idea, the vision, the dream and step out regardless of what we will face. We may not have seen the storm coming, but God did and still commanded you, because He already saw you fulfilling it.

The wind ceased when peter got back into the boat. The storm will stop, when fear looks at you in the face and you don't respond to it. When your eyes are focused on the author and finisher of your faith ; Jesus.

You are chosen, set apart to bring glory to God’s name.
God has chosen you. You to come on this earth. You to be His vessel. You to manifest His glory. Out of the many sperms that could have germinated your mothers egg, you were chosen. You were chosen for such a time as this. You are chosen for a purpose. You are not useless or good for nothing. You are not worthless. You have worth, you have purpose. And not just that you are selected that way, but God has chosen you. He brought you here because His love had to manifest. You are a manifestation of God’s love. Theres something so great within you that He couldn’t keep you alone. He has plans that He wants to manifest through you. Just as they say , if you love someone, you will let them go. God couldn’t keep you, He had to release you for others to see His glory, for others to see the amazing works of His hands. Everything He created has purpose, but more importantly,you are the purpose behind His creation. His love is soo deep that He had to manifest you.

God created Esther for a specific time for a specific purpose. God has placed you here for a specific time, for a specific purpose. He could have brought you forth in 1880, but He brought you forth, in this time, for this generation, in this century.
Romans 8:19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.
You are a child of God, you are the daughter of a king, you are a son of the most high. You are not a mistake. Even if the very people who carried you say you are a mistake. Even if the circumstances around you doesn’t make sense. You are loved and cherished and chosen by God for such a time as this. Even if those who are supposed to cater for you abandon you, you have purpose. Purpose is not based on the creation, but its based on the mind behind the creator. And God’s thoughts towards you are loving , are good and not of evil. All manner of things may be happening around us in this world. But they do not manifest the thoughts of God for you and for this world. God’s thoughts are to bring you to an expected end.

Only God can raise an orphan like Esther, and set her high to be a princess. You are God’s princess, your heavenly father cares about every detail of your being. The fact that Esther did not have a mother didn’t stop her from leading other women. Sometimes God will use us in the areas in which we lack, the areas in which we struggle in, God will help you overcome so others can know of His love and glory.

Esther’s story tells us , it doesn’t matter how you begin, God can raise you up and use you beyond your mind could comprehend.

God wants to write your story, your story may have began in abuse, in insecurity, in brokeness, in lonliness, from being abandoned. But God wants to write your story of a fulfilled life,
Just like Esther the beginning of your story does not predict your ending. Your end will be good, your end will be a complete contrast from your beginning.

Esther’s background did not stop her from becoming a queen. Your bad experiences in life, whether you were rejected or neglected does not determine who you are. You are God’s child.

In life we have to learn to close chapters from the past that weigh us down. That make us think whether we are suitable to reach and achieve greatness. We didn’t see anywhere in the book of Esther, where she wondered if she could make it because of her lineage, or her past. To be honest Esther kept quiet about that fact that she was a jew. Thats because Its who God said ” she is that will determine where she was going, not what society thought.

When we come to Christ we are a new creation. We must not allow the lies from the past, the incidents to determine who we are. Jesus has put to death the old you.

Why would someone still treat you differently or hate on you even when they have more than you. Its because of where they can see you going.To you ,you are little, but you’ve got to understand you are a treasure in the eyes of God. You’ve got greatness inside of you and you may not see it but they do. You may think you have little now, but the very little you have will be great one day. Sometimes you may think the best thing to do is revenge those who want to destroy you. But the battle belongs to God.
David acted wisely in the midst of Saul. He did everything He needed to do correctly so Saul will have nothing to say. But He was still jealous of Him. He still wanted to kill Him. Not because had anything, but because of where he could see David. The women rejoiced over David and that made Him jealous. That was a while ago, but Saul continued to be jealous. Because He could see that David was going to be great with God on His side.

You shall conquer in every battle set to trap or take you out. You will succeed in the area they placed you to limit you. Because God is with you
Saul sent David to war so He will be killed. He told Him to go and bring back 100 foreskins of the philistines, to prove that He had conquered. But David went to war and brought back 200 foreskins. He went to the war that was planned to kill Him and brought back double of what Saul requested. He didn’t just survive He succeeded in the area set up to kill Him.
May God expose every scheme to destroy you and confuse the plans of the enemy.
Saul told Jonathan He wanted to kill David. But God made Jonathan love David as His own soul (1 samuel 18:1) . So Jonathan informed David that Saul seeks to kill Him. And even advised David to go into hiding.

Some people want to criticize you and make your life difficult. Some people want to get rid of you not because of something bad you have done. But because of something good you have done. They don’t want to see any goodness come out of you, even though you are doing well, they will find something bad to say. They want you to take your eyes of everything thats going well and start to think of yourself the way they see you. To make you think of yourself lowly and eventually stop doing good. Be Careful with such people.
Saul sent messengers to kill David. But at the time David was with a group of prophets prophesying and He was leading. When the messengers saw David, their agenda to kill David was removed. The spirit of God took over them and they began to prophesy as well. Saul sent second and third messengers and they also began to prophecy.
God is able to turn any trap or assignment against you to be for you. Those who have been assigned to eliminate you will be confused. They will start helping you rather than destroy you. They came with an agenda, but their agenda will not be fulfilled. Because if God be for you, who can be against you.

I never really used to understand when people say there is purpose behind your pain. For me it sounded like You mean I Didn’t go through all this for no reason? I didn’t fight this battle for no reason? But one faithful day I grasped and experienced what it meant by Purpose behind the pain. That whatever you went through was not meant to kill you, it wasn’t meant to define who you are, but God will help you overcome it and use you to help others in a similar situation for His glory. I came to understand that it wasn’t all about me, that there are loads more people who were broken. That I needed to keep my eyes on Jesus and seek Him to fill the brokenness within me. That Jesus came for the broken, lost, confused, weary. That I couldn’t allow anything from the past that made me broken to keep me in bondage. That all authority in Heaven and on earth belongs to Jesus and nothing that I’ve faced could hold me down because He gave me authority to use His name which is above all.

So I got up that morning just hungry to spend time with God. The time I spent in the morning before work was not enough. So I decided that at lunch time at work I would spend time in the prayer room at work. I prayed and worshiped and had my quiet time to listen. But in the middle of waiting I sadly started sleeping. I can’t believe I slept. Then I woke up again and began to worship, but then a lady walked into the prayer room and sat a few seats behind me. I toned down my voice and I felt to turn my head again and watch. I turned my head again to worship but I felt to stop and watch her again. Then I just asked Her, ” Are you alright” she replied “Yes” but then tears started rolling down her face. I got up from my seat and went to sit next to her. I hugged her and the tears were even more. She then spoke to me and said she has been tortured so much by people in the past. With words of abuse from people close to her and even her past relationship. And now that she is free from those people her mind is still caught up in the past. She is free physically but her mind has not recovered from the abusive names and labels from the past. Her mind is still bound to the past and she doesn’t know how to be free. She doesn’t know how to escape torturous voices and she just doesn’t see how she can be free and live. The medication and therapy from the doctors wasn’t making a difference. As she spoke I held her hand, God gave me words to encourage her. Even though tears strolled down her face, she began to smile, I spoke with words of hope, words of strength, words of power and words of someone who didn’t see why I needed to live at a point in my life, but God kept me. As I finished speaking she asked me to pray for with her. I prayed with her and Hugged her. She had the biggest smile on her face, she continuously kept saying thank you.
As I was returning back to work I stopped for a moment and thanked God for using me. I thanked God for using me to reach to someone who was broken from her past just as I was.I thank God for giving me strength and healing me of the thoughts of hopelessness that nearly led me to take my life when I was young. I thanked God for keeping me to see that day and giving me the strength and peace to overcome so He could use me to help someone else who felt the same way about life.

I don’t know what you’ve been through. I don’t know what words or situations from the past has kept you in bondage. You are not hopeless because of your past. You are valuable because of who you belong to; Jesus. He has given you life today because He Loves you and you have a purpose on this earth. Don’t allow your past pain to steal the bright future God has for you. Take the pain, the brokeness, the emptiness to God. Stop crying about what you went through and cry out to God. God doesn’t want your mind on your pain, He wants your mind to be on Him. Only Jesus can set you free.

God asked Saul to destroy all the Amalekites. He spoke through the prophet Samuel and told Him to do so.
But Saul left the best of the sheep and oxen and the king of the Amalekites and didnt kill them. ( 1 samuel 15:20-21)

The reason He didnt kill them was because ” He feared the people and obeyed their voice”. ( 1 samuel 15:24)

(1 samuel 15:24 Then Saul said to Samuel ” I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.)

Saul became more focused on pleasing people than pleasing God. The reason He disobeyed God is Because “He feared them”.
But did He forget that the people did not choose Him? That God chose Him? He needed God in every battle to win. He needed God’s direction to know how to rule His people. But for a moment He started to fear them instead of God.

He kept the best of the sheep and oxen belonging to the amalekites, so He could sacrifice them to God. But God didnt ask for a sacrifice. He asked Saul to obey.
You don’t have to seek people’s opinion on obeying the word of God. You don’t have to fear that you will loose a friend or you will loose a boyfriend. You don’t have to fear that you will loose things.

Are you more afraid of people that are not in control of their own breath than the one who gives you life? Are you more worried about people who cannot protect you from evil than God who never sleeps nor slumber for you? Are you more worried about what the people who don’t know what tomorrow brings than the one who makes a new day?

God is merciful, God is kind, But we’ve got to Obey Him.

I used to seek people’s opinion about God’s word. Even though i knew the word myself. So I listened to friends and people’s opinion on whether I should stop fornicating. I was afraid of God, but i was more afraid of loosing someone I was not married to. And this was also the advocates of friends who went to church and believed in God. Before I began fornicating I was afraid, afraid because deep within me I knew God was not happy. But as time went on I began to think ” well every one around me says its fine”. But I didn’t realise how much fornication had eaten my peace. I didn’t realise how much it began to affect my relationship with God. I would go to church and worship and give offerings. But deep down God wanted me to surrender myself more than the offerings and the lip service I did.

The issue is I cant blame my friends for the decisions I took to disobey God. Because I had a choice. And no matter how people influence you to make a decision, at the end of the day they won’t face the consequences you will.

So first go to God’s word about the matter. What does God say about the decision you are about to make?

1 samuel 15: 22
Behold to obey is better than sacrifice.

God doesn’t want our lip service of sacrifices when we have not given Him our soul. He doesn’t want the devil to have entrance and do what He wants with us. He doesn’t want our souls to burn in Hell. He wants us to have peace, He wants us to rest in His bosom. He loves us.

We will be judged individually, not with friends, not with family, not with partners. We will be judged individually. Not on because we feared people more than God. When our soul, spirit and our bodies are powerless after death, where we end up will be a result of the choices we made whiles we were alive here on earth

Because Saul disobeyed God and followed people’s opinion instead of what God told Him to do, the Lord rejected Him from being King over Israel.
Our destiny can be diverted just by following the opinion of people instead of what God has said. Don’t reason with the truth, when you know what God’s word says follow What He says. God knows you more than your closest friend. He has the best in store for you and He has great plans ahead for you.

But God is saying “don’t put too much emphasis on what you have and what you see, am looking at what I’ve put inside of you”.

You are not disqualified because of the way you look, or what people think about you. Or what family you came from. Or what your past has said about you, or what people have said about you. Or how you see yourself.

God created you and knows what’s in your heart. He knows what you have. He knows what He’s put inside of you to do what you need to do.
Don’t let where you are and what you have, disqualify you. Don’t let your age disqualify you. Don’t let your stature disqualify you. Because God is not looking at you how you are seeing yourself or how others are seeing you.

Your body is a vessel for God’s mighty spirit to dwell in. It’s what He has put within you which you cannot see that’s qualified you.

1 Samuel 16:7
But the Lord said to Samuel ” Do not look at His appearance or at His physical stature because I have refused Him. For the LORD does not see as man sees ; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the Heart.

The Lord placed this verse on my heart and led me to write this back in february. Our Heavenly father loves us.
Psalm 68:5
A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, Is God in His holy habitation.

God our father is
A father that provides for you
A father that protects for you
A father that is the head of the house
A father that loves you
A father disciplines you
God is a father to those without fathers and those with fathers.Less of their father. Those who don’t have the main figure. This means those without fathers still have a father, they wont be in need, they wont be led astray, they wont be afraid, they wont feel unloved, they wont be mislead.
Theres so much your earthly father can do, He cant be everywhere and know everything. But our heavenly father is omnipresent and omniscient. Whether your earthly father has been around or not, you haven’t missed anything in life. Because recognizing and knowing your heavenly father means everything beyond your earthly father is provided. Getting to know your heavenly father you will be counseled, you will become the great man or woman you are called to be. You haven’t missed out because you never spent time with your earthly father or seen him. Your heavenly father knew you before you were born. Your earthly father hadn’t even seen you before you were brought into existence by your heavenly father. Your heavenly father chose your earthly father. Your earthly father waited on you( a special gift) your heavenly father delivered.your heavenly father wants you to know Him as well as He knows you. This means spending time with him. Your heavenly father delivered you for a purpose and one day you will go back to him.He wants you to know Him when you see Him again. When you were delivered you didn’t know Him but when you return back to Him He wants you to know Him. If you know Him here you will definitely know Him when you see Him one day.
No matter what you may face. Our heavenly father will be there, through the trials the ups and the downs, He will stand by us. Knowing Him means we have authority, we are protected, He will never leave us nor forsake us.

In the book of 1samuel 10, the Israelites asked God to give them a king over them. God is the only king and there is no king before Him or after Him. But the people insisted on the king to lead them in battle.

God agreed and chose a king for them. God spoke through the prophet Samuel and selected a king for them.

But before Saul was chosen as king , He couldn’t become king with His old heart.
He couldn’t lead God’s people with his own heart. He was anointed and chosen by God.

1 samuel 10: 6
At that time the spirit of the Lord will come powerfully upon you, and you will prophesy with them. You will be changed into a different person.

Its God that will change you into a new person and your old ways and the old people will be unfamiliar with it. Your past cannot carry this blessing. Your old thoughts cannot carry this new blessing. The spirit of God will change your mindset, your heart. The way you think, feel and see things. Because if you are your old self you will question every move, you will seek man’s opinion than Gods.
You need God’s spirit to do God’s work.

Zechariah 4:6
Then he said to me, “This is what the LORD says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.
1 samuel 10: As Saul turned and started to leave, God gave Him a new heart, and all Samuel’s signs were fulfilled that day.
If God has spoken concerning your call, your purpose , be assured that It will surely come to pass. And He has given you what it takes to accomplish His plans. And thats why He has released the prophecy over you.
You didn’t choose yourself, He chose you. As long as you continue to walk in His will , your time will surely come.

Be assured that the prophecy spoken over your calling, your purpose will come to pass.

When Samuel prophesied to Saul, some of the prophecy was about instructions which Saul had to obey , in order for the word God has spoken over His life to come to pass.

1 samuel 10:7
And let it be that when these signs come to you, that you do as the occasion demands ; for God is with you.
Not everyone will be happy with the prophecy concerning your life. Not everyone will agree with the prophecy coming to pass. And not everyone will qualify you. But that’s ok because God is the author and finisher of your faith. The beginning and the end and He has qualified you.

Some people were not happy with Saul becoming King

Not everyone will recognise you and believe you have changed. Those who have seen your old ways will be unfamiliar with your change. People will question whether its really you.
You will be surrounded with those with the same vision. God will connect you with those who have also been transformed and walking with Him.

1 samuel 10:26
26 When Saul returned to his home at Gibeah, a group of men whose hearts God had touched went with him.

Psalm 23:2
He Restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness , For His name’s sake.
Restore means to : return (someone or something) to a former condition, place, or position.bring back or re-establish (a previous right, practice, or situation). Soul: our mind , our mentality and our hearts.
In Psalm 23:3 David talks about God restoring His soul and leading Him to a path of righteousness.

He is not talking about physical blessings here. He’s not talking about restoring a old house He has lost or restoring His riches. He talks about Almighty God restoring His soul.
Restoration means: to return someone or something to its former condition.
If the Lord had to restore David’s soul then it meant at the time his soul was not in a good condition. His soul was not always pleasing God so He wanted God to restore His soul back to the place where his heart and mind is in tune with God. Notice that David didn’t say the Lord restored his soul , He says the Lord RESTORES his soul. Its a continuous process. Restoration is a process because it requires that the old be removed and be replaced gradually or daily with the new. David could not by make Himself righteous. By His own hand and His own ability He cannot restore His soul.
Restoration also refers to when someone has backslidden, when your mind and heart was on God but is shifting away little by little.
But David makes it very clear that God restores His soul.

Zachariah 4:6 So he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty.

David makes it clear that God brings His heart and mind and thoughts and feelings in obedience with Him, when He seeks God to do so. When He longs and desires for God to do so.
In Our own strength trying to restore our soul is not possible. We need to go before God and ask for His divine intervention. To tune us into His desires and His will. Its a process of feeding our minds and hearts with God’s word so we allow Him to occupy us. God restored David’s soul.
It means that His mind and heart now desires the things after God’s heart. He is thinking to please God,His state of mind is to obey God. His heart is not longing after the desires of the flesh or the things that will kill His soul.
After restoring David’s soul, God led David to walk in His righteousness.
So after God has restored our mind and our hearts to Him.Now we start to act and walk according to God’s will. Because David seeked God to restore His state of mind and The desires of His heart back to Him, He allowed God to lead Him to walking in obedience with Him.
Notice that David submitted to the Lord leading Him. Notice that David let the Lord lead Him. So after God has restored your mind, heart and thoughts back to Him, you have to let Him lead you. Righteousness cannot be achieved by your own strength or ability. God made us right with Him through His son Jesus Christ.
1 corinthians 1:30 God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin.

Notice that you choose who to lead you. You can choose friends, by looking at their way of life. You can choose the world by following their way of life. But if you want to be walking in God’s will you have to follow God’s way of life. You cannot choose the world’s way of living and expect your soul to be restored and let God lead you.

God will lead us only when we submit under His authority. And to submit under God’s authority we must know what is pleasing to Him and what He hates. When we know what He hates we won’t allow anything or anyone to lead us.
Its important to pray for God to restore our minds daily and think about Him so He can lead us into the path of righteousness.
Glory be to God.